I’m a Kindergarten Drop-Out…

This is how the first week of homeschooling went for us:  My little duckling sat at the kitchen table (because I don’t have the classroom quite finished yet!) and I would give her something to do then I would go cook for the family.  She would finish and wait for me to come back and I would give her something else to do and then I would go do some laundry.  She would finish and wait for me to come back and then I would give her something to do and go take care of the baby.  She would finish and wait for me to come back and I would give her something to do and clean the kitchen…  I had excellent pre-school activities prepared for her little brother, only to realize on the first day of school that they are way above his level.  They might be good for him next year, but not this year!  So he was left to entertain himself…  which he did… with a permanent marker… on the walls… and the doors… and the floor…  and the kitchen table… and the kitchen chairs…  and the couch…  So cleaning that up became just one more thing on my “to-do” list.  I couldn’t really be upset with him though… He was practicing his letters and “doing school” just like his sister!  But we did have to repaint…

So, I became a kindergarten drop out.

I’ve taken a couple of weeks to re-think what I am going to do.  I have a new plan now that I hope will be easier to handle.  I have gotten my household system set up better and am working to get our schooling more organized.  I have age-appropriate activities for the 3 yr old and the permanent markers are hidden.

I’ve also taken some time to sew.  Sewing is a creative outlet for me.  I like it because it’s fast.  “zzzzzzz” and a whole seam is finished!  I can finish a project in an hour… unlike knitting (which I also love!) but it takes me a year (or more!) to finish a project!

So, in anticipation of many field trips, I have sewn car organizers for our mini van.  Being nature lovers, our mini van is full of “treasures”….  rocks, sticks, grass... all precious treasures that must not be thrown out.  Not to mention all our “gear” that pre-schoolers must not leave home without:  sunglasses, water bottles, little cars, dolls… 

Not that I’m blaming the children entirely for the state of our mini-van.  We parents contribute too…

I heard it said once that the state of your vehicle is a reflection of the state of your life.  I don’t want to be judged by the state of my mini van!  So, I got a little bit creative with a striped bedsheet, some old blue jeans and some scrap fabric.  Here is my attempt to tame the clutter-beast!

 

 

Notice they’re all different?

They are very simple to make… Just measure the van seats, mark where the headrest attaches to the seat and make buttonholes there, then add whatever pockets suit your fancy.  The bulging pockets on the left side of the denim strip are actually cup holders.  The pockets immediately below that hold a full size coloring book.  The red pockets in the lower right corner close with an elastic and will hold a number of large items (which I added at the request that I make a pocket large enough for a certain somebody’s doll!) 

Now we just need to take a road trip!